Gauge mechanism



Aug. 30, 1932- R, c. HUNTSBERGER GAUGE MECHANI SM Filed March 8, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet. l

I N VEN Fig! ATTORNEYS Aug. 30, 1932. R. c. HUNTSBERGER 1,874,296

GAUGE MECHANiSM Filed March 8. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 a INVENTOR. x\\\\\\ Mfitlwlslayw 47 ATTORNEYS rim i ullllllrliitirlli:

v IIIIIII II. lllll x i rarliu g- 1932- R. c. HUNTSBERVGER GAUGE MECHANISM Filed March 8. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 LIZ INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Aug. 30, 1932.

R." c. HUNTSBERGER 1,874,296

GAUGE MECHANISM Filed March 8, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

g ms @Mflay A TTORNE Y.

c, HUNTSBERGER 1,874,296

GAUGE MECHANISM Filed March 8, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR."

medal/Ma A TTORNE Ys Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES PA T OFFICE;

taUssELL c. ,HUNTSBERGER, OFASHLANDQKENTUCKY, AssIGNoaao THE AMERICAN ROLLING MILL COMPANY, or MInDLEToWm'oHm, A CORPORATION or 01110 GAUGE MECHANISM Application filed liarch 8,

My invention is directed to the provision of an improved gauging mechanism, which like, where a metal piece, by way of example,

is fed between the shear knives for a predetermined distance, controlled by gauge, and is then cut off. I shall describe my invention in an embodiment suitable for use in such a shear, it being understood that its application is not restricted to shears alone but is adapt able to mechanisms performing an operation upon a length of material at a predetermined distance from one end thereof.

The broad objects of my invention are to provide a gauge of improved construction and operation, together with improvements in actuating devices therefor.

These and other objects of my invention 1 .do not need further elaboration butwill be clear to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications and considering the draw-' ings Which form a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my gauge from abov Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 3 is an end elevation.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional viewalong the line running centrally through the air cylinders.

Figure 5 is a view partly in plan and artly in section to show more clearly certain of the operating parts of my gauge. 4

In describing an embodiment of my gauge mechanism suitable for use with cut ofi shears for hot or cold metal, I have shown in Figure 2 a pair of feed rolls 1 which feed metal pieces between the knives 2 and 3 of a shear which is not shown in detail. Thepiece, after passing A combination gauge and stop determines the distance which the piece will be fed along I the table and arrests its motion when the re quired distance has been reached. Then the movable knife 3 of theshear descends and effects a cut whereupon the stop member of Q 1930. Serial mil 434,333.

the gauge isremoved and the piece further fedalong the table to some delivery point. y In such shears, a pair of rails6 and 7 havebeenlocated above the table, wherethe gauging-mechanism is to be adjustable to difier-- 3 cut lengths, and gauge and stop means have been movablylocated upon these rails. The

rails themselves are old and" the manner of their mounting above the shear table is not apart of my present invention.

Broadly in my invention I provide gauge and stop mechanismwith a body riding along and supported by these rails, the body supporting suitable movable stop means, suit-' able guiding or hold down means, and suitable operating means whereby the stop is lifted outof theway at the end of the operation upon the material,"so that the conveyor may carry the material away. Means'are W also provided to move the gauge and stop 76'" along the rails so that it may be set at any desired point for makinga cut of a desired length.- The body of the; gauge is shown in the. several'views'as comprising a lower part H 8 having ways 9 and 10 within whichthe 75* rails are received, and an upper part 11 held thereto by bolts12. This upper part has portions13contac'ting the tops of the rails and it will beunderstood that the body of my gauge and stop mechanism may slide along fthese rails. Located between them is, a

the shaft 14 may be provided with a hand wheel or other means for turning it. The shaft passes through a nut 15 which is held in a socket 16 in the body portion 8, non-rotata bly. Lips 17 about the socket serve to hold the nut in place and to confine the nut in the'body ofmy gauge mechanism so thatwhen the threaded shaft 14 is rotated, the gauge will be moved along the rails in either direction depending upon the direction of rotation. A suitable'scale 18 may be attached toone of the rails if desired, and a suitable pointer placed upon the body of the gauge sothat the length of cut may be visually determined in advance. My gauge and stop mechanism is V such that it canbe operatedin exactly the will not return to the position in whichit is 0f, the; pistons 32 in the cylinders will :thus

same Way whatever position it occupies along the rails, as will be readily understood.

A pair of depending extensions 19 form interspaced bearings 20 for a square shaft 21 held therein for rotation by bushings 21a, in a horizontal position transverse to and above the table and conveyor'mechanism 5. Between the two extensions there is fixed to the shaft a stop mechanism 22 which is in the form of an arm fitting on the square shaft 21 and having a forwardly extending abutment portion 23 of a shape to arrest the travel of metal pieces along the conveyor 5 when in downwardly extending position. A rearwardly extension 2 4: of the stop may serve as a counter weight. It will be obvious that uponfpartialrotation of the shaft 21, the stop may be raised or lowered so as to come into or out of the path of travel of nieces along the conveyor. To control the movements of theshaft I' provide arms 25 which are rotata'blv journalled upon the shaft. These arms are yoke shaped, and have bearing portions 26 which ride upon bushings 27 on the shaft.

Thus the mov'ementof these arms does not tend d rectly to move the shaft 21. Members 28 are fixed non-rotatably to the shaft within the yoke shaped portionsof the arms 25 and have rearwardly extending pawls' or abuttated in such a way as to raise the abutment portion 23 of the stop out ofthe path of travel of metal pieces on the conveyor. The

interaction of the yoke 111 2 and the p chem.

members 28 is such however that the arms 25 may be rotated counter clockwise without effecting a corresponding counter clockwise rotation of the shaftand stopmeans. It will thus be understood that when a metal piece has been stopped by the abutment 23 and a shear cut made, then the arms 25 may be rotated in a clockwise direction suficiently to raise the stop means and let the piece pass on. As soon as the stop means has been'raised however, the arms 25 may return to the position shown in Figure 2; but the stop means as at 33to theends of the arms25 which are bifurcated as shown. An upward movement have the effect of turning the arms 25 in a clockwise direction sufliciently to bring the stop abutment 23 out of the path of travel of a sheet or other metal piece upon the conveyor. The piston rods may be guided in arms 3-1 projecting from the sides of the lower body portion 8 of my mechanism. In placeof the pneumatic or other fluid actuated cylinders shown (which are shown as attached to the upper body portion 11 of my device) I may employ solenoids, to the armatures or core members of which the rods 33 are attached, and thus operate my shear gauge by electric current instead of by fluid under pressure. It will be understood that suitable valves for the control of the pressure fluid or-suitable contact devices for the control of an electric circuit may be mounted upon the shear mechanism to be actuated by a movement of the shear knife in proper timing sequence,'so that my stop abutment may he moved from the path of travel of sheets after the end of the shearing stroke. In the embodiment shown in my drawings, fluid under pressure is admitted to the cylinders 31 through inlets 35 to which are attached any suitable conduits-or connections. These connections will be flexible to permit the movement of my shear gauge along the railsG. Controlling valves may be located Where desired, whether upon the shear gauge and stop itself or elsewhere (as is preferable) and these valves may be hand actuated or mechanically or electrically actuated either under the direct control of an operator or, as hereinabove indicated, by automatic means in synchronism with the movements of the I provide in my mechanism also means for holding down the sheets or other metal pieces riding along the conveyor 5 so that these will not be lifted by the movement of the stop or abutment. Arms 36 are rotatably mounted upon the shaft 21 by means of bushing members 37. The forward extensions rods 39 which pass through extensions 40 of the frame of my device and are drawn upwardly by coiled springs 41 hearing against washer members 4-2 on the upper ends of the rods, held by nuts 43. These rods therefore tend to urge the arms 36 to rotate about the shaft 21 in a counter clockwise direction. To limit this rotation so as to bring the rollers 38.111130ztl1fl1pt1t1i16fl position for the hold:

ing and feeding of metal pieces, a set screw a l is threaded into the frame extension 40, is provided with a lock nut 45, and bears against the upper part of the rearward extension of arms 36, as clearly shown in Figure 2. By means of this set screw device, the lowermost position of the rollers 38 may be accurately gauged; but in accommodating thicker pieces or irregularities in the metal pieces on the conveyor, the arms 36 may rotate in a clockwise direction against the action of the springs 41. Where the metal pieces are likely to be irregular or warped, I may provide the forward ends ofthe arms 36 with curved extensions 46 adapted to guide the bent ends of pieces down into more perfect contact with the rollers 38.

The assembly of devices on the shaft 21 will now be clear from a consideration of Figure 4. At the center of the shaft, there is non-rotatably fixed the stop member 22. At either side of this, the shaft 21 is journalled in bearing members 19 which are a part of the frame. Again at either side, arms 36 having appropriate bushings are rotatably journalled on the shaft. Beyond these the interspaced portions of the yokes of actuating arms 25 are. rotatably journalled by means of bushings upon the shaft. Within these yoke portions the pawl members 28 are non-rotatably fixed to the shaft 21; and to hold these several mechanisms in assembly, the ends of the shaft may be threaded to receive nuts 47 which hold washers 48 in place. Suitable fixtures 49 may be provided on the ends of the shaft 21 for a grease gun or the like, and lubricant assages 50 may extend from these fittings to earing surfaces which it is desired to keep lubricated.

From the foregoing description, the nature of my invention will be clear. It will be obvious that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention which having thus described, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a shear gauge and'stop mechanism, a shaft, a movable abutment member nonrotatably fixed to said shaft and adapted by the rotation thereof to be moved into and out of the path of movement of pieces to be arrested, an actuating arm rotatably pivoted upon said shaft, pawl means non-rotatably affixed to said shaft and cooperating with said actuating arm whereby said actuating arm may positively effect the rotation of said shaft in one direction and means for moving said actuating arm.

2. In a shear gauge and stop mechanism, a shaft, a movable abutment member nonrotatably fixed to said shaft and adapted by the rotation thereof to be moved into and out of the path of movement of pieces to be arrested, an actuating arm rotatably pivoted upon said shaft, pawl means non-rotatnalled in said body member, a movable abutment member non-rotatably fixed to said shaft and adapted by the rotation thereof to be moved into and out of the path of movement of pieces to be arrested, an actuating arm rotatably'pivoted upon said shaft, pawl means non-rotatably aflixed to said shaft and cooperating withsaid actuating arm whereby said actuating arm may positively effect rotation of said shaft in one direction and means for moving said actuating arm, said.

spaced bearings in said body, stop means aflixed to said shaft between said bearings, and comprising an arm bearing an abutment, said arm tending by its weight to cause rotation of said shaft in one direction, actuating arms for causing the rotation of said shaft in the opposite direction, said actuating arms journalled rotatably on said shaft, pawl means afiixed to said shaft and cooperating with said actuating arms, pressure cylinders mounted on said body and having pistons and piston rods and connectionsbetween said piston rods and said actuating arms whereby upon movement of said pistons said shaft may be positively rotated in said opposite direction.

5. In a shear gauge and stop mechanism, a. shaft, a movable abutment member nonrotatably fixed to said shaft and adapted by the rotation thereof to be moved into and out of the path of movement of pieces to be arrested, an actuating arm rotatably pivoted upon said shaft, pawl means non-rotatably affixed to said shaft and cooperating with said actuating arm whereby said actuating arm may positively effect the rotation of said shaft in one direction and means for moving said actuating arm, said means comprising a fluid pressure cylinder, a hold down arm rotatably pivoted on said shaft and bearing hold'down means on its outer end, and means for yieldably retaining the said hold down arm in position.

6. In a gauge and stop mechanism, rails supported above a table, a body member slidable along said rails, means to move said body member along said rails, a shaft journalled in said body member, a movable abutment member non-rotatably fixed to said sha'ft and adapted'by the rotation thereof to be moved into and out of the path of movement of pieces to be arrested, an actuating arm rotatably pivoted upon said shaft, pawl means non-rotatably affixed to said shaft and cooperating with said actuating arm whereby said actuating arm may positively affect the rotation of said shaft in one direction,

7 and means for moving said actuating arm,

said means comprising a fluid pressure cylinder, attached to said body, hold down arms pivoted on said shaft, said arms bearing hold down means on their outer ends, and means for yieldably urging said arms into hold down position.

RUSSELL C. HUNTSBERGER. 

